Curated OER
Documenting the Great Depression
Students compare and contrast two photographs from the Great Depression, and identify the ways in which the photographers depicted the hardships of everyday life during this period. They hypothesize about the story behind each photograph...
Curated OER
When Art Conveys a Political Message
Twelfth graders learn art is an effective way to convey a political message. They learn how political messages are created to convey a message. They analyze a piece of artwork and then write a short paragraph from the point of view of...
Curated OER
About Life: The Photographs of Dorothea Lange Going to the Promised Land
To better understand the migrant experience during the Great Depression, pupils analyze two primary resources: photographs by Dorothea Lange and a U.S. Map that shows the Dust Bowl. They compare and contrast Lange's images to Steinbeck's...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Native Foods and Livelihoods
Introduce young scholars to the ways in which land and people have a relationship. They examine the types of food local tribes have traditionally consumed and ways in which the people and the land both benefited from the act of...
Knoxville Art Museum
Lee Walton: Codes in Drawings
Familiar with the systems-based sports drawing of experimental artist Lee Walton? If so, this drawing exercise if for you. Young artists observe an activity over time, develop a coded language for the activity, and then draw a...
Curated OER
Use Google Maps to Teach Math
Capture the engagement of young mathematicians with this upper-elementary math lesson on measuring time and distance. Using Google Maps, students first measure and compare the distance and time it takes to travel between different...
Curated OER
Dino Long Legs
Students calculate the stride length of a walking or running animal. They use scale models of dinosaurs to calculate the leg and stride length of the animals.
Curated OER
Reporting Live From...
Students examine the many disasters in West Virginia. In this US history lesson, students write about and give an oral presentation of one of the disasters as if they were reporters.
Curated OER
Someone Is In The Kitchen
Students investigate the lifestyles of the Native Americans and look at a recipe found on a website. They read the recipe and pay attention to the measurements. They differentiate between the various measures in order to apply them to...
Curated OER
The Codex Comes Home: Leonardo Lives in Seattle
Students complete a unit on the life of Leonardo da Vinci and the content of the Codex Leicester. They write an encyclopedia entry, watch a film, complete a data sheet, conduct Internet research, and write a letter to Bill Gates about...
Curated OER
Martin Puryear's Ladder for Booker T. Washington
Students examine the art of Martin Puryear. In this visual arts lesson, students analyze the sculpture "Ladder for Booker T. Washington". Students consider how the sculpture reflects the life and contributions of Booker T. Washington....
Curated OER
Rover Landing Design Challenge
Students examine the concepts of forces and motion. They work together to design protective devices for their egg rovers as they are dropped from a specific height. They record their observations and discuss.
Curated OER
This Just in! Nile Network News Update
Have your young reporters research contributions of the ancient Egyptians, draft scripts, and broadcast their stories live on the Nile Network News. Depending on class size and age, topics may be brainstormed or assigned. The detailed...
Curated OER
Tree House Escape!
Students participate in a role play in which they use simple machines to do the work of retrieving their sibling from a tree which lost its ladder. They investigate how work is accomplished when an object moves in the direction of the...
Curated OER
Fire Brigade
Students examine how a community works together to protect them from fire. They work together to design a functional tool that could be helpful in fighting fires. They share their tool with the class.
Curated OER
California Native American Basket Weaving
Fourth graders consider the role that baskets play in the traditional lives of Native Americans in California. Students investigate types of baskets and their various uses and then weave their own baskets.
Curated OER
Native Americans - Searching for Knowledge and Understanding
What do you know about American Indians? Upper graders compose an informational essay based on the research they conduct. They choose a Native American group to study and, using the provided list of web links, gather information and...
Curated OER
Customized Topographic Maps and Models
Students explore the information depicted on topographic maps. They construct a 3-D topographic map of a local area. They go on a field trip to the depicted area and compare the 'real world' with their models.
Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Students locate California and New York on a map and explore available means of travel in the 19th century. Students explore the role of trade in pioneer America and simulate various barter transactions.
Curated OER
Medieval and Renaissance Art at the Art Institute
Students examine several Medieval and Renaissance works of art, including painting and sculpture, at the Art Institute of Chicago. They use worksheets and discussion questions to enhance their interpretation of the pieces.
Curated OER
Learning Landscapes
Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...
Curated OER
Fantasy / Art Maps
Ninth graders analyze a fantasy art map by Jeremy Anderson, paying careful attention to the way the topographic features of the land are represented. They create a similar map of Sacramento that includes topographical features as well as...
Curated OER
British Imperialism in India
Tenth graders learn how the differences between Indian and British cultural perspectives, as seen in works of art. Students participate in discussion of the differences in how individuals are viewes by others.
Curated OER
Artists Teach Us to See the World through Visual Symbols
Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...